Events – Dice Productionshttp://diceproductions.co.uk
Animation, Comedy & FilmSun, 02 Dec 2018 11:19:33 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.1BAAwards Public Choice Screenings 2018http://diceproductions.co.uk/2018/01/baawards-public-choice-screenings-2018/
Mon, 08 Jan 2018 03:18:08 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=5303On 5th, 6th and 7th Feb, the British Animation Awards Public Choice Award voting screenings are coming back to The Mockingbird Theatre in Birmingham’s Custard Factory. Three different hour long programmes will take place over three evenings, where you can help decide who should win. The BAAs take place every two years, which means there’s a […]

Three different hour long programmes will take place over three evenings, where you can help decide who should win.

The BAAs take place every two years, which means there’s a packed selection of award-winning, festival laurel grabbing shorts and music videos to choose from. The screenings are happening nationwide, so if you’re not local you can find your nearest screening on the BAA website.

Food and drink is also available at the bar, so come along to meet other animators, filmmakers and fellow film lovers.

]]>Dots and Loops Playlisthttp://diceproductions.co.uk/2017/12/dots-and-loops-playlist/
Thu, 28 Dec 2017 20:41:37 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=5284Photo by Amy Smart Thanks to everybody who came to our Dots and Loops night, and thanks to Flatpack for inviting us to do it. It was a lot of fun for us to recap on our careers so far. Our choice of films were quite revealing in the end, giving us a nice perspective […]

Thanks to everybody who came to our Dots and Loops night, and thanks to Flatpack for inviting us to do it. It was a lot of fun for us to recap on our careers so far. Our choice of films were quite revealing in the end, giving us a nice perspective for ourselves about where we are so far and what we’d like to create in the future.

It was nice to see other people get a kick out of the event too. Ashleigh Goodwin at Birmingham Review did a nice write up of the evening. We’ve become very used to the concept of short form film screenings, so it’s surprising when it proves an education to somebody new. I hope it has people searching out similar events. You can read the review HERE.

If you want to relive the night. Get a pint, sit in a hard chair, and turn the lights off while watching these films. Enjoy:

The first section focused on our film festival favourites and influences, with Message in A Bottle and Man In A Cat providing our first foot holds into the filmmaking and comedy community.

In the third act, we showed some films that reminded us of simpler times. For an evening that felt like a throwback to us hosting Popcorn Comedy it was nice to dig out some favourites from those days when everybody seemed to be having a go at making shortform comedy on YouTube.

]]>Dots and Loopshttp://diceproductions.co.uk/2017/11/dots-and-loops/
Tue, 14 Nov 2017 18:31:04 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=5272After a false start with our Dots and Loops night we are now rescheduled… FOR CHRISTMAS! December 19th at the Rose Villa Tavern. Be there or be at another Christmas function you were booked in for months ago. We’ll be chatting to Flatpack‘s Sam Groves about our films, influences, and grubby Christmas animations. Here’s the event […]

]]>After a false start with our Dots and Loops night we are now rescheduled… FOR CHRISTMAS! December 19th at the Rose Villa Tavern. Be there or be at another Christmas function you were booked in for months ago.

]]>Croissant at Encountershttp://diceproductions.co.uk/2016/08/croissant-at-encounters/
Fri, 26 Aug 2016 11:06:51 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=4801Croissant is going to be screening at Encounters Festival in Bristol. It’s one of our favourite festivals, and we’ll be sharing our Late Night Screening on Thursday 22nd with some regular festival buddies, Brothers McLeod, Lee Hardcastle and Ben Mallaby. Croissant’s also on the front cover of the festival programme!

]]>Croissant is going to be screening at Encounters Festival in Bristol. It’s one of our favourite festivals, and we’ll be sharing our Late Night Screening on Thursday 22nd with some regular festival buddies, Brothers McLeod, Lee Hardcastle and Ben Mallaby. Croissant’s also on the front cover of the festival programme!

]]>8th-10th Feb: BAA Public Choice Screenings 2016http://diceproductions.co.uk/2016/01/baa-public-choice-screenings-2016/
Thu, 28 Jan 2016 01:41:13 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=4457Together with Birmingham City University, we’ll be hosting the 2016 British Animation Award‘s Public Choice Award screenings. The screenings will be taking place at The Mockingbird Theatre on 8th, 9th and 10th February at 8pm (7pm on Wednesday). All for FREE! The British Animation Awards take place every 2 years, collecting the best festival-smashing, accolade-winning, Vimeo-Staff-Picking films in one place. Nationwide voting […]

The screenings will be taking place at The Mockingbird Theatre on 8th, 9th and 10thFebruary at 8pm (7pm on Wednesday). All for FREE!

The British Animation Awards take place every 2 years, collecting the best festival-smashing, accolade-winning, Vimeo-Staff-Picking films in one place. Nationwide voting screenings are taking place to decide the Public Choice Award. So, this is your chance to choose your favourite films from a selection of the best animated short films and music videos going. The nights will also be presented by Marc Silk, the incredible voice behind Johnny Bravo, U.S. Bob The Builder, and Aks Moe in Star Wars Episode I.

There are different programmes taking place over three evenings with each screening lasting approximately 80mins.

Drinks and meals are available at the bar, so come down for a great opportunity to meet other animators, filmmakers, and fellow film lovers.

It’s free to attend but it’s worth reserving seats on the Billetto Page where you can also check the full film listings.

*EDIT*

Thanks to everyone who came. Here’s some photos from the screenings. Thanks Marc Silk for hosting. Special thanks to Nina Noon, Jack Mugglestone, and Kieran Wilson for helping to run the nights. Kieran took the first five photos in this set:

]]>We’re doing a Q&A at University of Worcesterhttp://diceproductions.co.uk/2014/11/qa-university-worcester/
Wed, 12 Nov 2014 10:21:24 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=3667Louis and I will be doing a talk and panel at University of Worcester this Sunday 16th November. We’ll be showing some films, chatting and answering questions about animation and how we work as Dice Productions. Joining us will be friend and bearded wonder Steven Spencer of Nice Monster. The talk is 11am-1pm on Sunday […]

]]>Louis and I will be doing a talk and panel at University of Worcester this Sunday 16th November. We’ll be showing some films, chatting and answering questions about animation and how we work as Dice Productions. Joining us will be friend and bearded wonder Steven Spencer of Nice Monster.

The talk is 11am-1pm on Sunday 16 November at The Chapel CHG012 & CHG014, City Campus, Worcester.

]]>LOCO Film Festival 2013http://diceproductions.co.uk/2013/02/loco-film-festival-2013/
http://diceproductions.co.uk/2013/02/loco-film-festival-2013/#commentsMon, 25 Feb 2013 11:18:55 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=2379We had a great time at the London Comedy Film Festival. LOCO’s only just finished its second year but it has the slickness of an established veteran festival. As well having a packed programme there’s a friendly buzz about the entire time, making it a pleasure to mingle and chat to anybody. We had the […]

We had a great time at the London Comedy Film Festival. LOCO’s only just finished its second year but it has the slickness of an established veteran festival. As well having a packed programme there’s a friendly buzz about the entire time, making it a pleasure to mingle and chat to anybody.

We had the honour of judging and presenting the LOCO Discovery Short Award. Our agenda was based on how strong the entries were as “films” as well as how funny they were. That’s an almost impossible balance to strike so we had a huge amount of respect for everyone who made the shortlist. In the endTooty’s Wedding was the winner.

Earlier on in the week I also went along to a preview screening and Q&A of A Liar’s Autobiography. The film is a sweet animated tribute to Graham Chapman, voiced by the late-parrot himself, along with most of the Python crew. As far as I know it is the biggest animation collaboration of its kind for a feature film.

]]>http://diceproductions.co.uk/2013/02/loco-film-festival-2013/feed/1The Philosophy of Man In A Cathttp://diceproductions.co.uk/2012/07/the-philosophy-of-man-in-a-cat/
http://diceproductions.co.uk/2012/07/the-philosophy-of-man-in-a-cat/#commentsFri, 06 Jul 2012 16:24:38 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=2001On Wednesday Man In A Cat had the indulgent pleasure of being discussed and having the philosophy of it explored by Carla MacKinnon & Scott Biagi as part of the Looking In, Looking Out Film Festival. I was mainly interested in what they had to say because there is actually some philosophy among all the poo jokes, […]

I was mainly interested in what they had to say because there is actually some philosophy among all the poo jokes, which is why the film equally gets remarked as “disturbing” and “heartwarming”.

Here’s them chatting about it. Apologies for the Count Crapular filming. I arrived late so filmed surreptitiously from the back of the hall. That’s me calling out at the end like a jilted lover at a wedding. I went on stage and chatted some more about the philosophy behind the film, but stupidly didn’t record the audio.

On stage I was given a quick checkover to make sure no one was in my eye and then I gave my account of things.

One of the starting points for making Man In A Cat into a proper story was actually Plato’s Allegory of the Cave (Yeah, we got Greek on this shit). That idea being that if someone was shackled facing the wall of a cave and had only ever seen the shadows of real things, how would they deal with seeing the real world, and then how would he be received by people who live like he used to. Man In A Cat definitely isn’t as mind bending as that, but by living through the eyes of something else he is living behind a glaze and is going to struggle to adapt otherwise.

Man In A Cat is also a bit of a statement on love. You can be in love without finding a soulmate, every relationship isn’t perfect and often people are drawn to people they’re not compatible with. Yorkie only really gets with Susan because she’s one of his kind and awakens some sympathy in him. They’re purposefully not shown as being happily-ever-after because, as Carla put it, relationships made in traumatic situations don’t last.

So you see, every one of those anus jokes was just mis-direction… They weren’t… Or were they?… No.

Anyway, I enjoyed myself. The atmosphere at the screening was made particularly friendly and curious by the fact that most of the films had at least an element of comedy about them. Which I think was a really clever turn, initially because it feels absurd, but then because you realise that comedy can carry a lot of weight and that’s what makes comedy so special.

]]>http://diceproductions.co.uk/2012/07/the-philosophy-of-man-in-a-cat/feed/1Annecy Round uphttp://diceproductions.co.uk/2012/06/annecy-round-up/
http://diceproductions.co.uk/2012/06/annecy-round-up/#respondWed, 20 Jun 2012 11:20:22 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=1826It’s been over a week since I got back from my first trip to Annecy and I’m still feeling a little topsy-turvy. By all accounts this happens to most people and that’s exactly why I forced myself along to possibly the world’s best animation gathering. One of the best parts of the Festival was bumping […]

It’s been over a week since I got back from my first trip to Annecy and I’m still feeling a little topsy-turvy. By all accounts this happens to most people and that’s exactly why I forced myself along to possibly the world’s best animation gathering.

One of the best parts of the Festival was bumping into so many people from the animation industry who I’ve known for ages but have never actually met in real life. This was particularly easy to do in a tiny medieval town playing host to a relatively small industry of enthusiastic obsessives. The serendipitous fun was also fuelled by manic screenings, friendly hangout areas, private parties, pedalos, delicious food, wine, and occasional blasts of sunshine.

FILMS!

This year the focus was on Irish animation, which meant I was introduced to jaw-achingly good An Inside Job made by Aidan Hickey in 1987. I’ve kept the image from the programme as a motivational poster for when I’m brushing my teeth.

And finally, this wasn’t the first or last Gimp on a leash I saw in Annecy. Maybe there was a convention. Also, why is that man with the sunglasses buried up to his neck? His girlfriend looks worried. Too many questions.

]]>http://diceproductions.co.uk/2012/06/annecy-round-up/feed/0Looking In, Looking Out: A Festival of Philosophy & Filmhttp://diceproductions.co.uk/2012/06/looking-in-looking-out-a-festival-of-philosophy-film/
http://diceproductions.co.uk/2012/06/looking-in-looking-out-a-festival-of-philosophy-film/#respondWed, 13 Jun 2012 11:39:06 +0000http://diceproductions.co.uk/?p=1663Man In A Cat is set to be philosophically dissected at Looking In, Looking Out: A Festival Of Philosophy & Fim at the Conway Hall on Wednesday 4 July, 6.30pm! London Short Film Festival‘s Philip Illson has programmed a selection of shorts and Rich Pickings will invite a speaker to discuss the issues selected in the films, approaching them from various positions. Afterwards, Julian Baggini will […]

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Man In A Cat is set to be philosophically dissected at Looking In, Looking Out: A Festival Of Philosophy & Fim at the Conway Hall on Wednesday 4 July, 6.30pm!

London Short Film Festival‘s Philip Illson has programmed a selection of shorts and Rich Pickings will invite a speaker to discuss the issues selected in the films, approaching them from various positions. Afterwards, Julian Baggini will be arguing the moral philosophy of the Coen Brothers, followed by a screening of Fargo.

A lot of theory and rumination went into all the silliness that the film turned out to be so it’ll be interesting to see if anyone picks up on that.